Brutal Schedule from an RPI Perspective

[VAHuskyFan]

Here's a breakdown of our opponents by RPI so far this year:

RPI Top 50: 9 teams (2-7)
RPI 51-100: 2 teams (1-1)
RPI 101-150: 0 teams
RPI 150+: 11 teams (10-1)

We've had 2 total games against RPI 51-151 teams! Those are the games you want on your schedule and they've been completely MIA for us. These games are important because (1) you're going to win most of them, (2) you're going to get CREDIT for winning them (in terms of helping out your RPI), and (3) if you happen to lose a few it isn't the end of the world.

What you want to avoid if at all possible is RPI 150+ games, which have made up literally half our schedule. You get no credit for winning them, the games themselves do little to help your team improve, and God forbid you happen to lose one -- which is going to happen eventually if you keep having to play them week after week. You're literally better off playing DII teams than RPI 200+ teams.

Florida provides the perfect example of the value of these games. The Gators have an RPI of 67 despite being 12-11 (and just 1-7 against RPI Top 50 teams). Their secret? 12 games agains the RPI 51-150, in which they've gone a respectable 8-4 -- and just 3 games against the RPI 150+.

There's not much we can do about the dregs of the AAC -- we have to play those teams. But now that we're not in the old Big East anymore, we need to stop scheduling the likes of Coppin State (RPI 318) and Central Connecticut (RPI 345). Nothing good comes of these types of match-ups. The school has done a good job scheduling marquee games against the likes of Duke and Texas, but we need to work on trying to put a few more respectable (but eminently winnable) RPI 51-150 games on our schedule.

 

[tzznandrew]

It's all a good point, but once you start trying to schedule 51-150 OOC teams, you have to either:

1. Give some sort of return game (therefore losing money); or
2. Get lucky and get a team like Yale who has an above average year...

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

3-8 against top 100 teams means we needed to schedule more 150+ just to get some W's.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Here's a breakdown of our opponents by RPI so far this year:

RPI Top 50: 9 teams (2-7)
RPI 51-100: 2 teams (1-1)
RPI 101-150: 0 teams
RPI 150+: 11 teams (10-1)

We've had 2 total games against RPI 51-151 teams! Those are the games you want on your schedule and they've been completely MIA for us. These games are important because (1) you're going to win most of them, (2) you're going to get CREDIT for winning them (in terms of helping out your RPI), and (3) if you happen to lose a few it isn't the end of the world.

What you want to avoid if at all possible is RPI 150+ games, which have made up literally half our schedule. You get no credit for winning them, the games themselves do little to help your team improve, and God forbid you happen to lose one -- which is going to happen eventually if you keep having to play them week after week. You're literally better off playing DII teams than RPI 200+ teams.

Florida provides the perfect example of the value of these games. The Gators have an RPI of 67 despite being 12-11 (and just 1-7 against RPI Top 50 teams). Their secret? 12 games agains the RPI 51-150, in which they've gone a respectable 8-4 -- and just 3 games against the RPI 150+.

There's not much we can do about the dregs of the AAC -- we have to play those teams. But now that we're not in the old Big East anymore, we need to stop scheduling the likes of Coppin State (RPI 318) and Central Connecticut (RPI 345). Nothing good comes of these types of match-ups. The school has done a good job scheduling marquee games against the likes of Duke and Texas, but we need to work on trying to put a few more respectable (but eminently winnable) RPI 51-150 games on our schedule.

We have 3 games remaining with top 50
At least 2 with top 100
Win them and your 5-7 against top 50
3-1 against top 100
A totally different resume

 

[4in16]

We have 3 games remaining with top 50
At least 2 with top 100
Win them and your 5-7 against top 50
3-1 against top 100
A totally different resume

* 4 games vs top 50 left (smu 2x, temple and Tulsa) although depending how things shake out both temple and tulsa could fall just outside the top 50 but still have to go at least 3-1 in those games and sweep Memphis and obviously take care of ecu and Tulane. That would make us 5-8 vs top 50 and 8-9 vs top 100 20-10 overall, an at large possible depends how other bubble teams look but would most likely need to win 2 in AAC tournament. One game at a time is really the only way to look at this season from a team perspective though.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

It's all a good point, but once you start trying to schedule 51-150 OOC teams, you have to either:

1. Give some sort of return game (therefore losing money); or
2. Get lucky and get a team like Yale who has an above average year...

The $$ is an excellent point. But there are some solid basketball schools in weaker conferences who would probably take the SOS and exposure boost of playing us even without a return. More than half of the Atlantic 10 is squarely in the 51-150 band at any point in time -- and looking to improve their SOS. UMass is probably closer to RPI-50 most years, but that's the type of game we should be looking for.

As for this year, I'm not counting this team out or saying they can't put a run together and improve their resume. My only point is that games against the Top 50 are TOUGH games and games against RPI 150+ are WORTHLESS games -- even if you win, they do nothing for you. Our schedule so far this year has been a brutal combination of TOUGH and WORTHLESS games. We have not had an opportunity to play merely DECENT teams and bank solid high-probability victories.

 

[StingLykOllie]

RPI 150+ are lose-lose games really. You're supposed to win, and when you do, it does virtually nothing to improve your stock. If you lose (cough Houston cough), it can destroy your RPI. Obviously you can't avoid playing Houston, ECU, USF, etc. but when it boils down to it, you ABSOLUTELY cannot lose.

 

[Palatine]

Here's a breakdown of our opponents by RPI so far this year:

RPI Top 50: 9 teams (2-7)
RPI 51-100: 2 teams (1-1)
RPI 101-150: 0 teams
RPI 150+: 11 teams (10-1)

We've had 2 total games against RPI 51-151 teams! Those are the games you want on your schedule and they've been completely MIA for us. These games are important because (1) you're going to win most of them, (2) you're going to get CREDIT for winning them (in terms of helping out your RPI), and (3) if you happen to lose a few it isn't the end of the world.

What you want to avoid if at all possible is RPI 150+ games, which have made up literally half our schedule. You get no credit for winning them, the games themselves do little to help your team improve, and God forbid you happen to lose one -- which is going to happen eventually if you keep having to play them week after week. You're literally better off playing DII teams than RPI 200+ teams.

Florida provides the perfect example of the value of these games. The Gators have an RPI of 67 despite being 12-11 (and just 1-7 against RPI Top 50 teams). Their secret? 12 games agains the RPI 51-150, in which they've gone a respectable 8-4 -- and just 3 games against the RPI 150+.

There's not much we can do about the dregs of the AAC -- we have to play those teams. But now that we're not in the old Big East anymore, we need to stop scheduling the likes of Coppin State (RPI 318) and Central Connecticut (RPI 345). Nothing good comes of these types of match-ups. The school has done a good job scheduling marquee games against the likes of Duke and Texas, but we need to work on trying to put a few more respectable (but eminently winnable) RPI 51-150 games on our schedule.

The problem is not the schedule. The problem is that we have played poorly.

Make some foul shots at the end of games. Hit lay ups and dunks. Cut down on TOs. Run the offense with purpose. If we did those things, the schedule would be our friend.